Our Purpose
by Nox aureaa
Summary: Jin, the leader of the Torna organization, has a dream. But what if an epiphany strikes, and those plans change? Retelling of the story through Torna's POV with an OC added to the mix and an alternate ending
1. I Am Like You

**A/N: The following fanfiction will be a retelling XBC2 from Torna's perspective. What was the dynamic like among the members of Torna while Rex and his friends carried out their quest? That very question is what I will attempt to convey in the fanfic - with a twist. **

**An OC will be added: Luna, the Anima of Tantal. Once a Blade to a nobleman, Luna was the spirit that kept the Tantalese nation prideful and willing to see the days to come. Tantal's view of Luna had changed drastically after the Aegis War, and Luna's outlook on life did as well. **

**A spoiler to the entire fanfic: I will be doing my very best to give the antagonists a pleasant ending. **

**Hope you enjoy. I'd love to discuss the story with you, as well as XBC2 as we know it!**

* * *

Between the tall buildings that spanned for kilometers sat two people across from each other. They allowed the angry rain to soak their cloaks without any thought. For a while, they say there, with their unthinking yet constantly wavering minds. The two people could sense a different presence about one another. Without a word, they accepted it.

Their silent exchange was broken by the slow clacking of boots along the pavement.

A carelessly strong voice mused, "Ugh… what a stench. They let beggars roam free in this town?"

They didn't budge.

"You two… you're Blades, aren't you? Where are your Drivers? Dead drunk in a ditch?"

The figure stopped. The two cloaked people could see the shadow of the newcomer stretch in front of them.

"No… somehow, I don't think that's it. The name is Malos. I'm the same as you both…"

That was when Malos peaked both 'beggars'' interests. They lifted their heads to view the tall man. Malos' navy gaze pierced right through them. He had high cheekbones, sharp chin, and pointed eyebrows. His tiered blue armor accentuated his broad frame, notably the shoulder pads that extended upwards. Most notably, he had a rectangular piece of metal that covered the center of his chest. Malos had both hands outstretched towards the Blades.

One of the Blades had white hair that fell over his dead eyes and rested around shoulder level. Peeking from beneath his bangs was a thin and abnormally red Core Crystal. His face was thinner and slightly pointier in comparison to Malos'.

The other Blade had maroon bangs that added shape to her soft face. Two red core crystal stretched from the side under her jaw to the middle of her cheeks on both sides. She had yellow eyes.

The white haired man knew who Malos was: the Aegis who has brought nothing but destruction to Alrest. Alrest has been chaotic for a while now, but ever since his awakening, it has taken a nosedive. Between wars and his pointless destruction, the goodness has been squeezed dry.

Both the man and woman accepted his hand at the same time.

* * *

The rain let up. Now that they weren't in town, the two Blades took off their disguises.

The white haired man had armor that was similarly colored to his hair. Sturdier pieces of metal covered sensitive areas, such as his shoulders, mid abdomen, and down The middle of his legs. The padding on his shoulders fanned outwards ever so slightly. Underneath the armor on his torso, he wore a stretchy red shirt that allowed him to move with agile. His trousers allowed the same movement, but were looser. His white boots stretched upwards and covered his knees. Around his waistline was a belt that mounted the bottom half of a robe, fanning outwards. Short vambraces attached to his hands.

The girl's hair was much longer now that it was unsheathed. A bunch of hair on both sides of her head were tied to the back with a white and gold stranded ribbon. A thick and tan hooded cape draped around her body, held in place by a gold seal along her neckline. The cape and hood were trimmed and lined with fur. Her shoulders were protected with white armor. Attached to those were long black sleeves. Tiered gold and white plates protected her chest and came together down the middle of her abdomen. Small black fabric hid any sensitive areas around her hips, similar to that of a bathing suit bottom. Material identical to that on her sleeves extended from her feet to the middle of her quadriceps. Sturdy black and golden laced boots covered the entirety of her calf and folded over the topsides with fur.

The white haired man said to follow him, for he had a place where everyone could stay for the evening.

As they approached the shoreline, they found a decked ship. Nearby were a few sleeping teenagers that seemed to have found a home within the vicinity, and they appeared to have meddled with the ship, much to Jin's dismay.

"Looks like I'll have to tell those dirty rascals to move. Or…" Malos' eyebrow raises along with the corner of his mouth.

The white haired man examined the teens closer. The ragged clothes that overflowed on their skinny bodies made them look homeless. Any exposed skin was bruised. Small knives were scattered about. The rain had extinguished the fire that they built.

"I can erase them on the spot!" Malos finished.

Right as Malos reached for his sword, the deed had already been performed. The white haired man slashed through the boys with his thin and long sword in the blink of an eye. The boys, awoke from their sleep so suddenly to gasp, but only to fall back to an eternal slumber.

Malos laughed. "Impressive! And to think that I called you a beggar. What's your name?"

The white haired man didn't bother looking up. "Jin."

Jin knew who Malos was. The Aegis who has brought nothing but destruction to Alrest. Alrest has been chaotic for a while now, but ever since his awakening, it has taken a nosedive. Between wars and his pointless destruction, the goodness has been squeezed dry.

"Tell me. What drives your power, Jin?" Malos crossed his arms and leaned back over his left leg.

Jin's eyes met with the Aegis' for the first time. He knew what destruction this man was capable of very well.

"Have you ever doubted the Architect?" Jin asked.

"Duh. The cycle of humanity keeps repeating itself with no end in sight. Humans are despicable. Why does he allow this? And that's where I come in."

Jin's ears perked up. He was surprised to hear an agreeable concept coming from a man whom he once opposed. Was ending the enslaving nature of men due to their own selfish reasons what Malos believed all along? Was that his motivation to fight? Only time could tell.

"To destroy the madness that people contribute to Alrest," the female Blade spoke with her naturally honeyed and soft spoken voice.

"You're clever, little lady."

"Don't call me that."

"What's your name?"

Orange tinted smoke came out of her ears. She refrained from raising her voice any further. "Luna."

"Little Lady Luna. I like the sound of that, but it's too long. I'll call you Little Lu."

"Watch yourself, Aegis," Luna furrowed her eyebrows.

"Like you'd be able to do anything to me. What can you do, anyway?"

Luna looked at the boys, already beginning to rot. She almost felt sad once she closed her eyes. "Revive them."

"What's stopping you?"

"You said it yourself."

"Looks like we've all got similar ideas in mind, huh. How about we join forces, and destroy whatever the fuck The Architect created?"

"Including he himself," Jin added with quiet malice.

Luna couldn't find a reason why she'd dispute.

She took a deep breath in, outstretched her arms, bent forward and exhaled flames. The flames grabbed ahold of the teens and they became no more.

"What is that piece of crap?" Malos said in reference to the ship that lacked a Titan controlling it.

"This is the Monoceros, a mechanically operated ship. We'll be spending the night here." Jin said as they all boarded the ship.

The Monoceros was black and metallic. The head of the ship was plated with gold. The interior was spacious. The walls were not decorated, and along them were neat assortments of supplies that could be used as needed. The ceiling was supported by pillars with blue lights inside of them. Doors led to a couple of bedrooms with bunk beds, a small kitchen, and a stairway that led to the energy and control room.

"I haven't any cooking ingredients. We'll need to get some for a meal. There is trout in one of the bodies of water around here; I'll also need avocados and onion.." Jin said.

"That won't be an issue to gather around here. I'll go get those," Luna said as she took off in a whirlwind.

Malos took in the sights further. "Powered by electricity, no need to rely on a Titan for its power. How efficient is this thing?"

"I haven't ran out of power in a while. There's a generator in the control room that utilizes technology placed on the hull to convert resources within and around the Cloud Sea to energy. The capabilities of the Monoceros are nothing special," Jin said.

"And the firearms?"

"Need to be worked on."

Luna quickly came back with a few trout dangling between each of her fingers. She held them out away from her body. Her eyes glanced around for the kitchen while she walked with short and quick steps. Once she saw the kitchen, she went in, followed by Jin and Malos once they heard her arrival. Luna spun around and attempted to conceal her disgust for the slimy trout; she wished that she had some case to carry them in rather than her hand.

"What's with the look? Grossed out by some dead fish? You'd better get over your 'fear' if we plan on working together. You're going to be doing far worse," Malos laughed.

"I don't handle the cooking or gathering of food," Luna said.

"You made it pretty far without food."

"Never said it was easy."

Jin began cooking a dish similar to Trout Stralu. His passion for cooking had died long ago, but he needed to eat somehow. His skills were impeccable nonetheless.

Once the fish was cooked, they sat around a table in the lobby area. The meal certainly tasted different than what Jin had recalled since it called for ingredients only available from Torna. Luna and Malos didn't realize.

After inhaling nearly half of her meal, Luna paused suddenly. She asked, "Why do you guys want to kill the Architect?"

She knew the answer to her own question and wondered what her new group thought.

Jin hesitated for a moment. He didn't think he would have to verbalize his reflections to anyone and hadn't prepared for it. Although, the thoughts he had simmered in his head long enough and he was quite confident in his conclusions. He knew all about what Malos had done during his chaotic outburst during the Aegis War - and perhaps it wasn't unfounded. As for Luna, she radiates an energy similar to his own, and for that, he is able to feel comfortable around sharing his ideas to them.

"I long to ask the Architect why he hasn't stopped the destruction that humans cause. Us former Blades," Jin's eyes casted upon Luna, "were pawns in the game that the Architect lets us play, at the cost of those whom we've grown close to. All of those days spent with the one who we resonated with, destined to be forgotten… as we sit and watch ignorantly as humans use us to destroy themselves."

Luna sat back in her chair. She had watched her fair share of humans taking a go at life and even allowed for human heart to infiltrate her own body, only to see how detrimental they are to, not only people whom they don't know, but the ones that they do know. "We were only do so much when we were Blades. We don't have many options, and we are not in full control of ourselves, unlike an Aegis." She looked over at Malos. "The Architect made you with a special idea in mind, giving you the ability to break free from your Driver at your own will with unreal powers."

"Wish I could tell you what he had in mind for me, but I know just as much as you do. I'd like to ask him myself," Malos tipped his chair backwards. "I can't do that with a broken core crystal, though.".

Somewhat unwillingly, he removed the piece of armor that covered the center of his chest, revealing a chipped core crystal that glowed a faint purple.

"Is there any way to fix it?" Luna asked.

Malos' demeanor became less giddy and more enraged. "Sure. My partner was the one responsible for the damage of my core crystal. If I had access to her, I'd be able to take back what was mine to begin. But I don't know where that bitch is."

"I do," Jin said, raising his spine. "Her Driver hid her after the war. He mentioned hiding her weapon in Leftheria. As for the Aegis herself, she is beneath the Cloud Sea somewhere."

"If we're able to find her, I can utilize Siren and my gargoyles to wipe out humanity. I can also control Ophion, who guards the World Tree. Once Ophion is out of the way, we have access to Father," Malos said.

"I doubt this ship is going to get us very far," Luna noted.

"No, but the other warship, the Marsanes, has much more potential. We'll need more people to help us with that… there is someone I know, but I… don't know if he's alive," Jin said.

"If you know where he is, it would be worthwhile to check."

"The last time I saw him was when Indol attacked us." Emotion was not at the forefront of Jin's mind. Any lingering feelings of disparity were hidden beneath layers of blankets he had set in his mind within the years of his life as a Flesh Eater.

"Ah, the Indoline Praetorium," Malos cooed with fake enthusiasm. "That's a coin toss. He's either dead or a mutant of what he used to be. Visiting the Praetorium would be fun. Maybe I'll even catch a glimpse of my Driver."

"Let's go," Jin said.

And they went.

* * *

**A/N: I recently played through XBC2 and I'm currently going through the DLC. I really enjoyed all of Torna; everyone in Torna won my heart, and they're all my favorite characters. I would've liked to see them all survive at the end of XBC2... so here is my take! I also added an OC to *hopefully* push them into a more positive direction that aligns with the protagonists' goals... If you have any advice regarding XBC2 lore, or if someone sounds OOC, let me know. Thanks.**


	2. Now You Have Us

**A/N: Please re-read Ch 1 before advancing, I have added some more content to it.**

* * *

Jin decided that the best course of action would be to rest up on land for the night before continuing the voyage to Indol. They required food and a new view wasn't a half bad idea. He took advantage of the low tide of the Cloud Sea and arrived to Gormott Province's Lower Level. The Monoceros pulled up to the shoreline and the team stepped out and onto the Marash Spring.

The Marash Spring's air was heavy with moisture. A mild fog surrounded the area. Trees spanned small cliff lines, their roots peeking out from beneath the cluster of springs. The damp kneehigh grass was of little irritance to the crew, for their boots easily countered it. They scouted for a place to set up a campfire. Even with the wet weather conditions, a fire could be conjured thanks to Luna.

"We'll set up here for tonight," Jin said as they entered a hollow tree trunk that connected to the Upper Level. There were neither monsters nor people within a large radius. Jin notably changed his appearance: he wore a mask that matched the color of his armor. Two horns pointed out above each eye, another horned edge branched over his nose. The edges were painted a red color and sat on his cheek, outlining his jawline.

"I've seen Jin fight before, although it was with his Driver," Malos began, approaching Luna slowly and elongating his neck slightly, "you said you're a healer, but I don't buy that fully."

Malos drew a dull sword - he had been using this as a replacement for his original weapon - and thrust it towards Luna. Her heart jumped due to such urgency and her eyes bulged for a moment. Even though the jab wasn't long enough to harm her, it required her to react quickly enough to his movement. She pulled her arm from the opposite side to the native side and created an arc of orange sparkling flames that stood suspended in the air. Malos' sword clashed with her shield. The clash caused dark embers from his sword to mix and diffuse into the air along with smoke from her shield. Luna felt how strong he was against her despite his rusty sword. With each step he took towards her, he swung. Luna couldn't help but walk backwards and produce more shields. Once she had a greater grasp on the situation, Luna's next block of fire pushed back against Malos' weapon. The force pushed Malos backwards a few meters; since Luna anticipated this, she used the momentum to launch herself into the air.

"I don't normally fight, no. But if you insist," Luna said, drawing an bladeless hilt while speaking. Two metal ridges shaped like wings curved upwards on each side. An orb that glowed with warmth was encased in the metal extended from the bottom. Both of her hands clasped around the base and she expelled a burst of energy, creating red fire that danced within the edges. Once she powered up the weapon, she was able to wield it with one hand. The sword measured roughly half of her body in length, but felt weightless. She continued talking, "I'll show you a trick or two!"

Jin watched their sparring. He didn't particularly enjoy fighting, even if it were only play.

Luna spun forward with her blade extended. Flames released from her sword, creating a wheel around her. She had such control over her element that nothing she touched caught fire - unless she wanted it to, of course. Malos cut through the flame wheel and landed his sword onto Luna's, followed by the both of them grunting. He caught her in a gaze between their blades and, for the first time since their meeting, Luna focused on Malos up close. His gray eyes were fierce with intensity. She felt as if he had a grasp on her that was much deeper than that of any other, as if he saw right through her. His aura wreaked untamed confidence despite his weakened state.

Malos smirked, then said playfully, "Your eyes... Are you intimidated, Little Lu?"

"Huh? I'm not scared of you," Luna's eyes widened at the odd remark. She certainly didn't feel very intimidated by him in particular. She recalled what he had said at their initial meeting: 'I'm like you.' Since she was caught off guard in her own head, he was able to push her back and nearly knock her weapon out of her hand.

Malos laughed, then charged forward. "Oh, c'mon, now she's frazzled."

Luna knew that saying something in return wouldn't accomplish anything. Instead, she lowered herself onto her knees, and waved her sword over her head, which resulted in an arc of fire similar to the one she produced with only her hands. The difference between this fire was that it was much hotter and leaning towards a yellow-orange hue. The heat felt familiar to Malos, as he recalled what it was like to be burnt alive; but this fire guided him as if he rode on a slide. He flew overhead and landed perfectly on the branch of a sturdy tree.

Right as he looked up, Luna was already swinging herself at him with her sword. Malos shoved his hand down and dug his fingers into the bark of the tree. He threw his feet under the branch and pulled himself down, thus hanging from the branch and avoiding her attack.

Malos dropped himself from the branch. She looked down at him, observing his relaxed demeanor.

"Not too bad. Cool arts and weapon you have there," he said. Luna dropped from the branch, landing in front of him. He continued, "You better get used to fighting for what has yet to come, so keep on your toes."

Luna's weapon ceased. Unlike Malos, she wasn't too enthralled, still wanting to understand what he said about being scared. She chose to brush it away; perhaps she'll understand at some point. She said, "I don't mind a good fight, but my strength doesn't come in solo fighting solo."

"That'll change once we get our hands on Indol's Core Crystals," he said, dismissing her unsettledness.

Jin approached them. He wished to ask Luna something, although it didn't seem like the perfect time to do so for her benefit; but he knew something was on her mind, and that they'd potentially discuss it at some point. With the utmost attention, Jin asked, "Luna. What was your Driver like?"

Luna clasped both of her hands together under her cloak. She could still recall his face and all of the expressions it made depending on what emotion he felt. "My Driver… he was a model for what all humans should strive for. Chivalrous, empathetic, humble. And naive," Luna bit her lip. She continued, "He was a noble in Tantal and was naturally handed an authoritative position. His desire for power didn't stem for rule over a people; he wished to reform the manner in which the Tantalese viewed us Blades. When the remaining citizens of Torna came to Tantal, he saw it as an opportunity, since their way of living was similar to his ideology. During his last minutes, he asked me to fulfil the legacy for him, but it was too late for Tantal. They had already won over the Tornans."

Jin closed his eyes and tilted his head downwards, showing his regards to her loss. He knew all too well what it was like to have such a wholehearted person die at the hands of evil. If only he knew of her duty earlier, perhaps they could've worked together; but for what? The inevitable would happen, and he knew that. He understood that, at their core, humans were born with a wick of evil that ignites naturally. He and Luna, as well as all others, didn't deserve to live amongst those who are bound to plague them with such disgust.

Malos naturally let out a burst of cynical laughter. As if he had read Jin's mind, he said, "Those are humans for you. The majority aren't as pure as your Driver was, Luna. And yours, Jin."

Jin clenched his fist.

"What was your Driver like, Jin?" Luna asked.

"She too had a big heart. Her greatest desire was to help the helpless," Jin mumbled. "All in vain…"

"You and your friends were the ones whom I saw swapping weapons when we first fought," Malos said. "It was an interesting tactic."

"Swapping weapons when you fight? How does that work?" Luna asked.

"While fighting, a Driver and Blade move in tandem, although such action does not need to be performed with such a bond. The skill flows naturally between them. They exchange weapons in order to keep the enemy guessing. It might be better understood when you perform it yourself," Jin said.

"Can you show us?"

"You two can figure it out on your own. There's a Supercharged Alfonso around the area that we can use for tonight's meal. Practice on that."

"Mind as well figure it out now before we get our hands dirty," Malos shrugged.

Although Luna hadn't seen what such a battle technique looked like, she didn't dispute. She went off with Malos in search for the Supercharged Alfonso. Jin ventured elsewhere to gather other resources for the dinner.

The Marash Spring naturally had little sunlight due to the density of the fog and the positioning of the area on the Titan. With the day coming to an end, the place became even darker. Torches spread about aided Malos and Luna during their search.

"There it is," Luna pointed out the sole Garaffa that stood within a body of water and innocently drank from it. She activated her Incinero Scimitar, which acted as a new and very bright light source. "We'll use my weapon instead of that child's toy you have. You've watched Jin perform the weapon-swap-whatever. How do we proceed?"

"It's self explanatory. Deal some blows. When that thing doesn't realize what's coming for it, which is all the time, then throw me your scimitar," Malos said.

"Sounds fun. Let's do it!"

Luna charged at the monster and took powerful yet timely thrusts at it. The Supercharged Alfonso attempted to attack her, but she dodged it with ease. The monster then let out a cry and followed up with an untimely burst of gastric acid. Luna watched the wave at the same time that she attempted to regain some of her balance, causing her to react slower. An attack of water was sure to deal some damage to her fire element.

"Little Lu! Over here!" Malos called. He was airborne, jumping towards the Alfonso from behind.

"Huh? Oh!"

Luna threw her sword like a frisbee to Malos. He noticed a bit of resistance when he caught the sword because some of the flames around it blazed outwards, as if the weapon didn't wasn't thrilled to be in new hands.

Don't fear, Luna thought, channeling peace to her weapon as she dodged the acidic attack. The sword immediately calmed itself and worked with the force of Malos' swing.

The Supercharged Alfonso yelped. It reoriented itself to face Malos and attempted to attack him, to which he countered with another strike.

"Little Lu! Go there!" Malos called again, throwing the Incinero Scimitar adjacent to the Garaffa as opposed to Luna's current position.

Luna successfully understood and dashed to the position, catching the sword. She then said with pursed lips, "Stop calling me that!"

But dealing a blow wasn't the best course of action. The Supercharged Alfonso tucked its head down and grasped the sediment beneath its hooves. A burst of electric ether energy unleashed all around it.

Using the momentum Luna already had with her dash, she pushed herself up from the ground so that she'd land in front of Malos and waved her sword in front of her creating an arc. "Fiery Imbibe!" She cried out, creating a wall of fire around her and Malos. She held her sword overhead. The flames consumed the electric ether that the Garaffa emitted. She pulled the Incinero Scimitar and her other clenched hand close to her chest. The flames wrapped around her and Malos and they both absorbed the ether, resulting in a boost of health and power.

"Ahhh," Malos said, basking in the awesome energy. The Supercharged Alfonso ran at them, preparing another attack.

"Take it," Luna said, passing her sword to Malos. They darted in opposite directions and both avoided the attack. Malos could still feel the Incinero Scimitar defy his grasp.

You can trust him, Luna argued to her weapon once more.

The scimitar became calm once more. Malos dealt the last blow to the Supercharged Alfonso, and it fell to its death.

Before they could reconvene, they were faced with the sudden arrival of a Driver and Blade. The Driver looked Gormotti, with tan-orange fur lining his skin and ears sticking out from his head. He had armor that sat on his traps and encased his neck loosely, as well as on his shoulders and along his chest. He wore loose knitted pants that were held up by a thick belt. His Blade's body and hair were completely encased in gray metal with blue streaks of ether flowing through her body.

"Halt! You ain't supposed ta slaughter the monsters unless yer harvesting them with a permit! Show your identification to me," the Driver ordered.

"Identification for what, killing a monster for food? You've got plenty to go around," Luna said.

"There are plenty of dishes available in Torigoth. The resources here must be preserved and maintained by those qualified. Not only is that the law in the Gormott Province, but you killed a Supercharged Alfonso, which is a very rare species. Regardless of your situation, you will have to suffer the repercussions of the law."

"Can't enforce 'em when you're dead!" Malos said. He charged at the Driver with the Incinero Scimitar. The Gormotti grabbed ahold of his Blade's katana, and the two weapons clashed.

"Malos, over here!" Luna said, over the head of the Driver and Blade.

"You'll have a long sentence, that's fer sure! Fissure Cut!" The Gormotti shouted. He swung his katana, powered up with the earth element, at Malos.

Malos threw the scimitar to Luna and was able to successfully dodge the attack. Luna caught it, smashing down into the Driver. The Driver yelped and fell onto his stomach.

"Riccy! Get up!" the Blade called out to her Driver, running over to pull him up.

"Do the honors!" Malos told Luna.

Luna didn't have much time to think twice. She simply acted based upon what she had instinctively thought was right. She held her sword above her head and completed a single spin on her toes. The air caught some of her cloak, lifting slightly, and her sword released a small handful of embers that danced around her. She suddenly felt profound, as an epiphany of hazy grace overcame her: it was better to erase these people now, doing a task they live to do and enjoying it, rather than later, when the going gets tough for her, her new allies, and the rest of Alrest. She drew her sword down and across and it released flames that captured Riccy's body. He screamed and his body faded into the air. The Blade let out a loud cry and returned to her Core Crystal.

Within the distance was the shuffling of feet; someone had been watching. Malos and Luna didn't notice.

"A bit overkilled," Luna rolled her shoulders forward. She picked up the still Core Crystal.

"You had some fun, reminds me of myself. You need to save some of that energy for when the going gets tough," Malos walked over to her with definitive steps and patted her on the back. He could notice her sense of wrongfulness dissipating the longer she stood and observed where the Gormotti Driver once laid and the Core Crystal she held. "That's the ambition we need, don't let that fear of yours inhibit it. It's either now or later."

"How did you know I was afraid?" Luna asked, thinking back to earlier when they sparred.

"You and your weapon share the same processor. It transfers a great deal of what you're thinking of to whomever the user is," Malos said matter of factly.

Luna furrowed her eyebrows. "While that may be true, no one could access its information unless I permitted."

"I'm an Aegis," he reminded her.

She covered up the feeling of bareness now that she knew he could read her emotions. In fact, she didn't even know herself that she was afraid. It had been a while since anyone but her had held her weapon, and even knowing that, there had only been two people in her life who ever held it. Not many had access to it and the encryption on the device was implemented well.

"Don't worry, I won't read your weapon all the time," Malos reassured. "Only if it means I can get a good laugh."

"Hmph," Luna said, crossing her arms. "And I suppose that you were able to access my thoughts when our weapons touched earlier, despite that crappy sword of yours having no ether flow whatsoever."

Malos smiled and shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a natural."

The orange smoke rose out of Luna's ears again. She couldn't help but pout, even though she hadn't figured out what she herself was afraid of. Malos snickered at her reaction.

"I don't know what you're afraid of, anyway. That's something your sword can't tell me," Malos said.

"I'm sure you'd love to know," Luna said. She raised her free hand next to her head in a backwards slapping motion and turned her back to him to walk over to the deceased Supercharged Alfonso.

Typically, he never paid any mind to how others feel. Emotions are humanizing, and succumbing to them weakens a person. He was a Blade - the Aegis - and therefore was not a human, so there was no reason to stoop down to their level. He had just met her and Jin, and he made a vow to form a group with them - mind as well get to know them. And, for the first time ever, he was intrigued by someone's past. Not to mention, his confidence was strained because of the resistance he felt wielding her sword. He couldn't wield his own weapon at the moment due to his weakened state, but he should've been able to wield Luna's sword with much more ease.

"Is that a challenge?" Malos asked, trailing behind her lavender scent from a distance.

"No. I'll forget about it once we're all dead."

"We've got some time before that."

With that, he considered her challenge accepted.

* * *

Jin had been standing at the edge of the trunk for a while, already watching Malos and Luna for quite some time. A strange feeling surfaced in his chest, something he couldn't quite fathom, or rather didn't want to. When they were within a closer proximity, he said to them, "You two flow together better than I had anticipated."

Even though he had difficulty with the Incinero Scimitar, Malos did note how natural it felt to exchange weapons with Luna.

"I didn't think I had it in me, either. I only work alone," Malos shrugged, setting down the meat they had acquired onto a log.

"Worked," Luna corrected as she set fire to some wood, neatly surrounded by rocks thanks to Jin. "Now you have us."

Malos shot his signature stare down at Luna, but couldn't come up with any sort of rebuttal. It's true: he now has people that depend on him and people to depend on. They were both hard to come to terms with, the latter being more difficult to swallow than the former.

"You took his Core Crystal," Jin noted.

"Better than it getting into the wrong hands. I don't know where he got it from. He was definitely a Gormotti, but the way he talked reminded me of how they speak in Mor Ardain," Luna said.

"Mor Ardain settled in Gormott rather recently," Malos explained. "Their Titan is dying. They're trying to refill the graves they dug themselves, so they struck a deal with Gormott for their resources. That's why we came across that Mercenary. They need all the material they can get their hands on, all while turning a blind eye to the cultivation of their new land."

While absorbing what Malos was saying, Luna watched Jin preparing fresh meat of the Garaffa while chopping the vegetables and herbs he acquired. Tantal had been an isolationist country ever since then, and she hadn't heard much news regarding other nations excluding Indol's. She had spent her time during her 'exilement' within Tantal's terrain and knew what it was like for marketplaces to be desolate with citizens fighting for the last loaf on the stand. She viewed such a situation in two manners: first, it was awful to see humans suffering due to lack of resources, but second, and most important to her, they took their arms to cause the destruction of another Titan. It turned sorrow into a gut-wrenching desire to free the humans who fell to their own sins and the Titans and Blades that had to deal with the brunt of those flaws. What good is the beauty of life when those seek to destroy the joy of it for others?

"There might be more Core Crystals in Torigoth," Luna said, breaking the cycle of her thoughts and the drawn out sound of the crackling fire.

"Yes. We do not need to focus on that right now. The aim of our plans, which include intercepting Indol, will overshadow that issue," Jin said, adding the finishing touches on the meal. "Done."

* * *

Jin, Luna, and Malos all slept outside for the evening, taking in as much fresh air and enveloping themselves in the scenery they could before they boarded the ship again. Jin was propped up against the wall of the tree trunk with his arms at his side, sleeping soundly. Malos laid on his back near the fire and snored. Luna was in fetal position near the trunk on the other side of Jin.

Before the sun rose and the others awoke, Luna's eyes fluttered open. Her eyes and ears went from Malos and his snores, past the fire and its cracking and to Jin and his evenly paced breathing. She got up and found herself on Outlook Knoll. The dew of the grass lightly coated her boots with water. Below her were verdant plains that stretched on for many kilometers. The cast of light from the sky far before dawn gave the landscape a blue tint.

From across the way, she viewed Torigoth. Something didn't seem normal, though: despite all of the sleeping wildlife around at this hour, Torigoth seemed to host some bustle. Luna squinted, making out a band of people marching down the path.

Luna peered over her shoulder. Jin and Malos were still sleeping. She looked back at the people leaving Torigoth and decided to get a closer look.

She ventured along the pathway that curved downward. The band leaving Torigoth advanced outwards as she weaved through bushes and trees. She ensured that she was hidden from the people's views.

Once Luna was closer, she was able to see them clearer. They appeared to be wearing armor, but it didn't look anything like what a Gormotti would wear.

"The lass said she saw those vermin around the Springs, which is this way," Luna heard one of them say.

"We cannot allow them to roam around unattended to," another one said.

"OK, men! Let us go forward."

Luna didn't know what an Ardainian sounded like, but she sort of knew what they looked like. From what she used to study at Tantal, their armor appeared to be a modern version of Ardainian design. Not to mention, their conversation did not sound like good news to her and her new friends.

She left her hiding spot to go back to their campsite. She had to move her friends out as soon as she could. Her nerves and boots hastened through the crunching leaves and snapping branches to her disadvantage. The soldiers had caught their eye on her hair and cloak.

"Sir! Is that her?" One said, pointing in her direction.

The soldier squinted through the darkened lenses of his helmet. "There is no mistaking it. Men! Let us go!"

They tried to catch up with her as fast as they could, but their heavy armor and arms loaded with mechanical guns weighed down their sprint. Luna was already seconds away from the Marash Spring by the time the Ardainian soldiers started running. That's when she realized that she didn't need to flee; rather, she could simply erase them. Destroy them without a trace of their scent or flesh to be found. She didn't need to cower and escape with her friends.

After all, it was her duty. Her new official duty.

She hid behind a large log and watched the men clank in their armor and listened to their choir of worn heaves.

"C'mon, you worthless buffoons! Pick up the pace!" The head soldier yelled.

They passed her, nearing extremely close to the Outlook Knoll where Malos and Jin were, and without a single thought of her whereabouts for they were too focused on not collapsing.

Luna thoughtlessly jabbed her arms outward and sent ropes of burning bright fire forward. The two ropes branched off, continuously splitting, and grappled the Ardanian's boots as they advanced forward. Once she had a grip on each of them, and they all wailed in pain as their feet burned and realized their fate, she lifted her arms. The flames responded by climbing up their bodies. They became a cocoon of fire. The cocoon illuminated the area with such brilliance.

Malos and Jin heard the screams. Jin jumped up immediately, while Malos' eyes slowly fluttered open. Jin followed the bright light, viewing the Ardainian soldiers screeching through the flames.

Luna's hands closed into fists. "Begotten by the fiery spirit, and foredoomed by their disposition," she said. And the cocoon spiralled inwards, then dispersed outwards into pixelated smoke.

Across the fog, cleared by the soft breeze that tickled her face, Luna and Jin saw each other. Jin's arms drooped down at his sides as he attempted to wrap his head around what had happened through his mask. He not only witnessed the death of those soldiers, but perhaps the emancipation of Luna's true emotion. It did not stray far off from his own; and with that, he found comfort in such similarity.

"I… I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to see that," Luna couldn't help herself from apologizing. She couldn't fully understand her emotions. There was relief, retribution, and a feeling of long awaited safety, yet anguish lingered.

"It's OK. Is this your first time ending someone's life?" Jin asked.

Luna thought back to when she had plenty of opportunities to kill her Driver's traitor, but never did so. She was held back by her Driver. At the time, she was perfectly content following her Driver's wish not to kill such a rotten person. She could almost feel the unease in her body, her deceased Driver's resentment towards her present day actions. If given the opportunity, she would gently explain to him the harsh reality of how she truly felt, he would surely understand. He is gone now. While his impact still remains within Luna, she knew that this fate of hers was inevitable. That was enough for her.

The deaths of these soldiers, what felt like a senseless murders, were certainly not going to be the last she saw or committed.

"Yes. I've never brought myself to kill a person, no matter how much malice they brought to life. These men had no clue what was coming. They were ignorantly serving their own nation. Oh, how deceiving they can be," Luna said. She lengthened out her neck to the side and tucked her chin in slightly, swaying her bodyweight to one leg.

Malos soon stepped into view behind Jin, rubbing his eyes.

"Indeed. Drivers or not, we are viewed by all of them similarly. They compose a force that cannot be trusted, so pitiful to watch from afar. The suffering has an end in sight. Think of it as our liberation," Jin said in an attempt to soothe her clouded head. She had the puzzle assembled and now she was bonding the delicate pieces with glue.

Malos and Luna allowed his words to sit in their heads for a moment. Malos' hatred towards humans merely deepened. It was clear to him that these Blades were deeply wounded, an expense of human gain.

"Those men must have been from the Ardainian militia. They were searching for us after our meeting with the mercenary. Once they realize the men they've sent out are dead, they'll send more. We need to get going," Luna said, walking towards them and the direction of the Monoceros.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Let me know if any character sounds OOC (with the exception of Luna). For any updates, feel free to follow me on Twitter ( nox_aureaa) or join my Discord.**


	3. What We Are

They couldn't simply dock the Monoceros at the Indol Praetorium's deck without notice, for that would surely raise an eyebrow and possibly cause mayhem. The newfound group needed to devise a plan ensuring their arrival would be hidden. For Malos, paying visits to the Praetorium wasn't very much of an issue. Despite their own predicaments, Amalthus, Malos' Driver, wasn't the type to call for the imprisonment of Malos - or imprisonment at all - at least not at the current stage in time.

As the Monoceros grew closer to Indol, Malos was able to see some ruffling within the clouds.

"There's something in the distance," Malos called out to Luna. "It looks like another ship on the same route as us."

"I wonder… it might be Tantal's shipment of Core Crystals to Indol. It is around that time of year, but a bit early… I'll tell Jin," Luna said.

Malos gave her a nod. She ventured beneath the dock to the control room, her cloak gracefully following behind her.

A holographic projection in the control room portrayed a man from his torso up. He had red and black armor. His wavy blonde hair was slicked back, with a single strand falling over his sparkling blue eyes. He always had a slight grin on his face, and this time was no different.

"Heya, Jin. How are things?" The man said with an upbeat tone.

"Hello, Mikhail. I'm well," Jin replied.

Before Jin had a chance to explain himself, Mikhail said, "Wow, what a shocker. The Monoceros appears to be booted and moving, too."

"I'm off to Indol. I met a couple of Blades in the city, and we've decided to join forces."

"Hold on, Jin, I might fall over! New faces, huh. When am I going to meet them?"

Jin noticed that the radar showed signs of another ship sailing in the Cloud Sea nearby as Luna walked through the doorway.

"Jin, another entity has been spotted in the Cloud Sea," Luna said. She observed the projection of Mikhail, realizing that Jin was in the middle of a call. She took a couple steps back. "Sorry to interrupt."

"Not at all, sweet cheeks," Mikhail said. "What lovely hair you have, too. She must be one of the people you picked up - I didn't know you had it in you. Allow me to introduce myself. The name's Mikhail! And you are?"

"I am Luna," she said timidly, for the tone of his remarks were slightly off putting. She brought a hand up to her chest for a sense of protection.

"There's not much time for an introduction. We have company," Jin said, still observing the radar. "They are enroute to Indol."

"It's most likely the yearly shipment of Core Crystals," Luna added.

"A yearly shipment…?"

"Indol has Tantal wrapped around their finger, and not for good reason." Luna's tone progressively declined, becoming melancholic. Her lips curled downward as she recalled the events soon after the Aegis War. "When the remains of Torna found refuge in Tantal, discrepancy arose between their cultures, the way they viewed blades. Torna sought to live with blades in harmony, as equals, which wasn't how it was in Tantal. The Tantalese viewed their Blades as their servants. We were used to build, maintain, and protect Tantal. The Tantalese family in charge at the time scrambled due to the conflict, and used the heir of Torna's name to win over the trust of the people. Indol found out, and ordered Tantal to send them Core Crystals annually at the cost of keeping their secret."

Luna could've sworn that, for the first time since their meeting, Jin expressed some form of disbelief. It was only for a mere second that she thought she saw his eyes widen.

Jin wasn't surprised that humans would make up such a lie for their own gain, nor that humans would blackmail each other for the same exact desire of power. Hearing what happened to Torna was what struck a nerve in Jin - and he came to a sudden realization.

"Those Core Crystals… the Indoline Praetorium is the hub for controlling the distribution of Core Crystals. They have always been quiet with their plans, but they chase progress. I don't trust them with those Core Crystals. On another note, that ship might be our ticket into the Praetorium," Jin concluded.

"I'll leave you guys to it. It was nice meeting you, Luna. Can't wait to meet you in person soon," Mikhail winked. Luna winced.

"See you," Jin said, then pressed a button. The holographic image ceased.

Jin asked for Malos' presence through an intercom. He arrived swiftly. Luna and Jin brought him up to speed with their conspicuations.

"I'll enter the ship and see what they have in store. Follow behind and remain vigilant on the Monoceros," Jin said.

Malos nodded. "They're using an Ardainian ship. It has a small opening along the hull. You'll probably be able to enter from there."

Malos looked at the radar, which showed their current location and areas surrounding. He pointed out where they'd meet on the radar if disaster struck: a hidden area along the Titan that he knew to be unmonitored. Such a place was rare in Indol, and their movements towards such a place were absolutely crucial.

* * *

Jin managed to swim through the Cloud Sea and find his way into the Ardainian ship. Jin's boots clacked against the metal floor, containing small beads of light neatly spaced out. The walls were also metallic, which made the entire ship chilly. The air weighed him down upon arrival, suppressing his ether energy drastically. Jin slowly walked through the pathway to the chamber, smoked by some puffs of clouds. He kept his senses heightened and readied himself for what laid ahead. Through the clouds, he saw a few soldiers standing guard. They were Indoline, despite the appearance of the borrowed Ardainian ship.

"Today's mess hall meal was crap!" One complained.

"Indeed, tomorrow's better be good," the other nodded.

"Did you hear that?"

The guards were able to finally hear the clacking of Jin's boots.

"The sound of the engine?" A guard said, not wanting to believe that he heard an intruder.

Jin barely saw them through the smoke, but he could feel where they stood. They couldn't know about his existence. No one could. This was the beginning of the end for him, and if his identity slipped, it would make plans a whole lot tougher. Without hesitation, Jin sliced through the guards, who barely made a peep as their bodies crashed to the floor.

Jin continued through the walkways and rooms with tenacity, slashing any Indoline guards that came in his way. He eventually arrived to a room, shielded by a windowless door. He heard a ruckus going on from the inside, which peaked his interest. He pressed the button next to the doorframe, and the room opened. Within the room were a handful of workers, taunting, yelling, and abusing a couple of people who sat huddled against the wall.

"Huh? Hey! Who are you -"

Jin disposed of the Indoline men who were in the room with ease. He approached the two people - a man and a woman - and looked down at them.

The boy had glasses. His hair was messy and black. He wore a rusted and thin vest with loose short-sleeved clothing underneath. His hands were covered by black leather gloves.

"You wanna… kill us, huh?" The boy's voice wavered as he asked. He refused to look at Jin.

Jin peered at them closer through his mask. "You're not human… Flesh Eaters?"

The query in Jin's voice allowed the boy's guard to fall; it was fairly clear to everyone on the ship that they were Flesh Eaters, so the notion that Jin didn't know was an indication that he was potentially unthreatening. "We were on our way to be transferred to Indol. My sister and I, from Tantal."

"Sister?"

The girl who sat next to him wore a hooded long-sleeved robe. The vest she wore over it had a similar pattern to the boy's. She had long, straight, black hair with straight-cut bangs. Her hands were also covered with gloves.

The boy retrieved a brass, oval-shaped pendant from his pocket and opened it. Inside, there was a picture of a man and a woman. "Here. The boy on the left, that was my Driver. The right is Patroka's."

"Patroka… Is that her name?" Jin asked, looking over at the girl.

"Yes. I'm Akhos. Our Drivers were brother and sister. That's why…"

"… we're siblings too, you're saying? What a dumb notion. They're them, and we're us. No relation whatsoever," Patroka spat.

"Even so!" Akhos' voice became louder with resilience and a sparkle of reminiscence in his blue eyes. "These bodies contain the lives of two humans… We are… connected."

"I don't get why you bother…"

Jin's chest felt heavier. He asked, "Are you happy?"

"Huh?"

"I'm asking if it makes you happy, clinging to things like that." He couldn't help but be inquisitive; it's not often that he came in contact with Blades who willfully made themselves into a being like he was. The repercussions did not feel burdensome at the time he had permanently modified his body. These Flesh Eaters seemed to be young in nature, striking a sense of naïveté, making his question all the more worth it. To Jin, at least.

"...That I don't know. But it's better than having nothing… It's important to me, and that gives me a reason… to go on. To live for her…" Akhos said.

Akhos' response touched Jin. Too bad now was not the time to reflect on emotions.

* * *

Jin, Patroka, and Akhos exited the cell and continued to explore the ship. Jin carved through any guards that stood in his path and escorted his newly recruited members.

Jin sheathed his sword after putting down a guard, then turned his head over his shoulder to Akhos and Patroka, who watched him in awe. "Do you know what else is on this ship?" He asked.

"There should be Core Crystals somewhere… I think we're getting closer," Akhos said.

Lo and behold, the next room had a wall of preserved Core Crystals.

"Wow, there are so many," Patroka gasped.

"Take as many as you can," Jin ordered.

They began to quickly gather the preserved Core Crystals, shoving them in boxes and bags to prepare them for migration to the Monoceros. Jin noticed the labels that some of the Core Crystals had on them now that he was able to look at them closer. They were organized based on rarity. The objectification of Core Crystals became worse: 'Queue for Cleanse' was written on the cases with higher rarity, and 'Discard for Mor Ardain' was written on cases with a common rarity. The little blood within Jin's body began to boil as he was reminded by his hatred towards the Praetor.

"This is what we are to them?" Jin said.

"Are you figuring that out only now?" Patroka said, picking up a case.

"No. But the sentiment is reinforced," Jin said.

"Some Blades are better than others, and with that comes value," she continued. They looked at each other. "My Driver saw through that. Not that I would've known if I returned to my core."

"Why did you do it?" Jin said, referring to the consumption of their Driver's flesh. He knew why he did it himself, and now that there was another one like him, he couldn't help but ask. He should ask Luna at some point as well; surprisingly, he hadn't already.

"Me? Become what I am? Well, I -" Patroka's voice heightened, "- do you mind? We can talk about that later. Let's get these things out of here."

"Patroka, don't be so rude to the man who saved us," Akhos said. "Although… you are right. I think we'll have a versed answer for you once we contemplate it. For now, consider it an act of survival."

Patroka rolled her eyes. Jin accepted the answer.

They each carried a load or two of Core Crystals and retraced their steps, finding the exit long the hull of the ship. In the distance and through the fog they could see the Monoceros. Patroka found a few floating devices which they used to place their loads on. They jumped into the Cloud Sea, pushing the floating loads of Core Crystals along.

Once they were within very close proximity to the Monoceros, Luna unraveled a hook from the top of the deck. Akhos hinged the hook onto the netting of one of the loads. Jin climbed up the hook and helped her reel it in. They repeated for each load, and eventually Akhos and Patroka ascended the rope of the hook. Patroka brushed dirt from the Cloud Sea off of her clothes.

"Welcome aboard," Luna greeted.

They all moved the Core Crystals into the main room of the ship for the time being, except for Jin, who went into the control room to speak to Malos.

Malos pointed out to Jin on the radar a place where they could dock the Monoceros on Indol for a break from being out on the Sea. The area was off the coast of an unmonitored area of Indol. Docking there was indeed risky, but Malos was quite confident that they wouldn't be seen by anyone or any security devices. If anyone knew Indol's layout, it was Malos.

Malos and Jin went to the room the others were in. Now that the ether wasn't suppressed, Akhos and Patroka were able to return to their Blade forms. Their attire was entirely different from when Jin found them before.

Patroka wore a white cloak with puffy arms that stopped before her forearm. The bottom of the cloak was lined with navy blue fabric had a dark floral pattern. The slit within the jacket's fabric revealed her legs and the bottom ware resembled Luna's. Along her midriff was armor with pieces of red metal within it.

Akhos wore armor that resembled that of Malos', except it was a bright blue color. His navy pants were loose and baggy around his thighs that tucked into his boots.

As they unpacked the Core Crystals and neatly stacked their cases, Luna couldn't help but fixate on the amount that was there and tried to mask her shock. The amount of Core Crystals that came from Tantal after all of these years was unbelievable to her. This was part of the reason why the Titan to suffer in pitiful whispers. The energy pent up in her began to burn through her limbs. It yearned to flail, hit, and let loose. Out of courtesy towards the new members, she refrained. After all, Jin picked them up while he was on the ship coming from Tantal, so they must be of some sort of Tantalese descent.

Malos said, "Now, we have more Flesh Eaters. What's the deal with you twerps?"

"Twerps -" Patroka puffed.

Akhos stepped in front of her, foreseeing the fit she was about to throw. "I'm Akhos, and this is my sister, Patroka. Our Drivers were from Tantal."

"Oh, here we go with the sister act again…"

Akhos let Patroka let off some of her steam; that was all he could do, anyway. "We were being transported from Tantal, presumably for execution, until Jin saved us."

As Luna suspected, she was correct, but said definitively as if she was shunning off her disbelief, "You're from Tantal."

"Yes, we are. Oh!" Akhos suddenly exclaimed. He walked up to Luna and pushed his glasses up the rim of his nose. "You're Luna!"

Patroka's eyes bounced between Akhos and Luna. "No way. I thought you were long dead, or a lie."

"You've been passed down from generation to generation to the highest noble family in Tantal. Yet, it had been recorded that you've gone missing ever since the Aegis War, never to have returned," Akhos said.

Luna crossed her arms and swayed around to place her weight on one leg. "That's a nice way to put it, yes." They left out the part of being a convicted felon, and the reason as to why, but that was something she wanted to put behind her. In fact, Luna wanted to put it all behind her.

"It's an honor to meet you!" Akhos said, bowing.

"Get a grip…" Patroka muttered. She eyeballed Luna up and down, examining everything from her facial features to the boots she wore. "Although, it is a shock. The artwork of you is strikingly accurate. That's you, alright."

"You… you're a living legend. I can't help but ask, what happened to you?" Akhos asked.

"Ah, Little Lu, the Anima of Tantal," Malos cocked his head back with a concise laugh. He had known who she was ever since their meeting, but never disclosed it to any of them.

"I thought you looked familiar," Jin nodded. "Your status is not too far from what I've been named."

"I recall hearing about you, too, Jin. But my history is that: a remnant of the past. It shall remain there as we push for the future," Luna scoffed. She couldn't exactly blame them for bringing up her legacy. After all, they were Blades of Drivers from Tantal, and she felt some sort of connection to them, even if her hope for the people there disappeared long ago.

"Certainly," Akhos said.

Patroka, on the other hand, was drawn into Luna. Under her hard exterior, a small shimmer of interest peaked her, and she wanted to get to know Luna. Akhos felt similarly, but in a way that seemed to idolize her as opposed to seeing her as a friend.

Luna continued, "What were your Drivers like?"

"The way they treated us paled in comparison to other Blades from the area," Akhos said.

"Behind closed doors, they were personable. In public? Forget it. We were better treated than other Blades, from what I've seen, I guess," Patroka elaborated.

Maybe some values of Torna was passed onto the Tantalese, Luna thought. She quickly dispelled the thought by nodding to them, for dwelling on the past was futile.

The shoreline of Indol became closer in sight. Not a soul was in sight - not a monster, no guards, no life. The bright beige and white marbled rock formed the ridges of land where the ship came to a rest.

Malos said, "Akhos and Patroka. I'm Malos. You'd better help us out around here; don't let Jin regret his decision of rescuing you."

Luna looked up and around as she took her first steps onto land. The air smelled shockingly clean.

"I've never been to the Praetorium before to see the corruption up close," Luna said.

"How desolate. It appears to all be man made, and lacking in any natural scenery," Akhos said.

"I don't think we're going to be finding any dinner by means of hunting…"

Malos walked on ahead. "I'm going to pay a visit to the mastermind behind it all."

"This'll surely be an interesting evening," Luna said. She began to trot behind Malos, who smoothly came to a halt and turned around.

"You aren't on vacation. I'm not here to give you a tour of this place," he said.

"It'd be worthwhile to explore the place where you were awoken, and meet the guy who did it. Not to mention, observing the everyday life of the Praetor's citizens will only fuel my fire of demise. I've only heard about this place in confidence," Luna said. She swirled around Malos and stood right in front of him, perhaps a bit too close for his liking; however, he made no attempts to distance himself from her. Her head tilted back as she pleaded to him, not only with words, but her eyes.

Luna's justification tempered the irksomeness Malos felt for her desire to explore. He simultaneously noted the interest in her voice when she talked about his awakening, and somehow felt a buffer in his ego from it. Regardless, it didn't deter him from his predisposed mindset. "The place where I was awakened is top-notch trash. Let me and my Driver have some man-to-man bonding time. You can go on and do whatever you want, but don't expect me to babysit you."

Luna was understanding of Malos' situation. He hadn't spoken to his Driver in quite some time and it was best for her not to obstruct their conversation, whatever they'd end up talking about. Clearly, their bond hadn't been very strong - severed, to be frank. She felt Malos' tense rage heighten ever since their arrival at Indol. Speaking to the Praetor must have been on his mind ever since the group spoke about the Indoline Praetorium.

"Fine," Luna said. It was probably in her best interest not to meet the Praetor now, anyway.

"Would anyone else like to come along? Maybe I could grab some dinner in the center of the Titan."

"I wouldn't mind going, but who knows what personnel has our identification," Akhos said. As he said, there could be some officers within Indol who would be able to identify Akhos and Patroka.

"It's best if we stay here for the evening," Patroka said.

Jin said. "Luna, you can go on."

"See you guys soon. Say hi to the Praetor for me," Luna shot a grin at Malos.

"Hah! Don't get lost," Malos said with sarcasm and a twinge of sincerity.

* * *

Malos waited for the right moment to appear in the Praetor Amalthus' presence. He was neatly hidden, watching and listening as people met Amalthus with various political news. All of the stories sounded dreary: trouble brewing continuously between Mor Ardain and Uraya, refugees protesting in the streets, a demand for Core Crystals among nations… Malos almost audibly laughed, which could've given his hiding spot away.

Once the commotion seemed to have died down, Amalthus rose from his throne and exited the room and motioned to walk to the Sanctum. Malos suddenly appeared in front of Amalthus with a small puff of dark embers dissipating from his body. Amalthus was unphased, staring at Malos with taut lips and dull eyes. His hands were clasped behind his robe.

"Malos. What a surprise to see you here. Alive," Amalthus said nonchalantly.

"I'm distraught that you have such little faith in me," Malos said, in reference to his disappearance after the Aegis War. He rolled his eyes.

"Not quite. And your casualties?"

Although it was hidden, Amalthus sensed his cracked Core Crystal. He could've probably invented a way to fix it, but there was no benefit for him to do so.

"Don't be so worried about me. Those casualties are in the works of being rebuilt," Malos put a hand on his hip.

"Oh. The only plausible explanation for your visit would be to repair them."

"Thought I'd swing by to see how my Driver was doing; our paths crossed at the right time. How great it must be for you to kick your feet up and watch a war unfold, Praetor," Malos spat Amalthus' title. He tucked his chin in.

"Indeed, the callings of war do not hinder our plans, but do keep us somewhat occupied."

"I'd love to spice it up for you. Consider it my gift to you when I wave down at you from atop in Elysium, rid of the Architect, and watch as this shit hole is erased."

"A lofty goal. How do you propose to go about such a dream?"

Despite his shared hatred for humans, Amalthus never sought to kill the Architect per say - at least not right away. Malos' wish rose some cause for concern at first. Amalthus was more than capable of planning a counterattack to any opponent who stood in his way.

"You'll find out soon enough."

Amalthus put his hand out. "You're alerting me so that I provide a worthy opponent for you."

Malos' lip curled upward. "Don't disappoint me."

Malos disappeared.

Amalthus blinked, then looked up at the infrastructure at the ceiling. If Malos was serious about his plans - which, he certainly appeared to be - then Amalthus could possibly have a chance to achieve his own dream. He needed to go to Elysium, too. Right now, his best plan of action was to watch the story unfold and continue with his current course.

* * *

The Monoceros set sail to meet with the Marsanes.

Akhos and Patroka were learning about the mechanics of the Monoceros alongside Jin, just as Malos and Luna had before. For Akhos, operating the technology came naturally to him. Patroka was similar in nature, but not nearly as fluent.

Luna, on the other hand, was cooped up in her small room. She would be sharing the bunk bed with Patroka for the evenings ahead. She was situated at a small desk that had a medium sized blank notebook and a bag of cookies she had obtained from a Gormotti refugee in the center of Indol. With a cookie hanging from her mouth and carefully thought out swipes from her arm, she drew a picture. Drawing was one of her favorite past times; in fact, she used to create concept art for muralists in the Kingdom of Tantal. Painting was not her strong suite. Long ago she had an interest to improve her skills, but that desire had dwindled over all her years of living.

The speaker in the corner of the room turned on. Luna looked up from her notepad. Akhos' voice sounded, "We're approaching the location of the Marsanes momentarily. Meet us in the main hall."

Luna put her pencil down, closed her notebook, and bit off a piece of the cookie, holding it in her free hand. Right before she walked out of her room, she saw Malos in the hallway.

"Where'd you get that?" Malos asked, referring to the nearly eaten cookie in Luna's hand.

Luna cursed in her head. She didn't want anyone to find out about the cookies - she wanted them all to herself! She shoved the rest of the cookie into her mouth, and through her chewing she said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Malos glanced over Luna and saw the bag on her desk. As she slipped by him, he quickly snuck into the room and nabbed a cookie for himself.

Luna took a double take when saw Malos chomping on the cookie as they entered the main hall. "Hey! Those weren't meant for you!"

"Keep it between the both of us," Malos said.

"But you weren't meant to have one in the first place. That's called stealing. Not to mention, you violated my privacy by entering my room."

"You said it yourself, Little Lu. I'm your teammate now. What's yours is mine," Malos smiled.

"You better watch yourself," Luna spat.

"Or what?" He laughed.

She couldn't think of a retort before Akhos announced on the loudspeaker, "About to dock the Monoceros!"

They could both hear Patroka from the control room as she said, "They're right there in the main hall, you don't have to keep using that loudspeaker!"

"I'm getting used to using such a device, Patroka. No need to worry!" Akhos said.

* * *

**A/N: I enjoyed writing this chapter! Once again, feel free to critique the personas of the characters and if they go OOC or not.**

**Writing has been slower recently since I've been busy with other hobbies... such as playing Fire Emblem Three Houses! I finished my first run in Blue Lions. I don't think I can bring myself to support the other houses fundamentally (I've spoiled them quite a bit...), so whenever I replay the game, I'll most likely play BL again. **  
**Feel free to check out my Twitter ( nox_aureaa) and my Twitch (nox_aurea). **


	4. We're All Assembled

The Monoceros was coming close to the Marsanes. Once the ship came close to a diving point, it descended through the clouds and into the sea. The group waited for the voyage to end in the main hall. Jin was in charge of controlling the ship. Luna impatiently swaddled from side to side, Akhos crossed his arms and tapped his fingers on his bicep, Patroka put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot, and Malos crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

The Monoceros decelerated and eventually came to a halt. The door opened up to the walkway of a steel pier. Docked close by was another ship that was much larger, more well built, and more aesthetic than the Monoceros. Patroka, Akhos, and Luna's mouths gaped open in awe. One corner of Malos' lip curled upwards in approval.

"Hello, crew!" Mikhail threw up his arms as he approached them. "My name's Mikhail. Some of you may have seen me already, and here we all are in person. How was the ride down here?"

"It was fine," Jin said.

"And for you ladies? Oh - my! I haven't seen you yet," Mikhail said as he walked towards Patroka. Akhos straightened up and gradually gravitated towards Patroka.

"Oh, for the Architect's sake," Patroka groaned. "Don't tell me I have to deal with a guy like you."

Mikhail held Patroka's hand up. "You're feistier than Lu is. I'm always up for a challenge, I'll have you know, especially for such a beauty!"

Patroka slapped him across the face and winced. "I almost threw up in my mouth…"

"That's enough dog talk," Malos said.

"Our group is certainly coming along," Luna said, scratching under the ribbon behind her head.

"All well-written organizations have a name to go by. What should our name be?" Akhos said.

"Torna," Jin said. Mikhail longfully looked at Jin, but he avoided eye contact. "Torna. No human has made any efforts to preserve the old Kingdom of Torna's ideals. The trends of humanity have always been on decline, with every undeserving chance they receive. Torna was its last hope for reform, and now… we'll bring them to the end."

Luna closed her eyes and bowed her head in solidarity.

"To the end?" Patroka asked.

"Yes."

"There is a constant waging of war among humans. They're killing each other. No one seems to have a problem with that," Luna said.

"We're giving the people what they want," Malos said with a chuckle.

"And preventing them from spreading more atrocities to new life," Luna said.

"It is true. There is a constant lust for power or stabilization among humans, and they'd go to any length for it. That includes killing each other," Akhos said. He rested a hand into his opposite elbow and pushed his glasses up the rim of his nose.

"Uh-huh." Patroka couldn't wrap her head around the idea fully, but she did understand bits and pieces of the sentiment. Akhos was in a similar situation. Mikhail, on the other hand, was already convinced that humans were naturally repulsive, despite having been one once.

"I will not let you down, Jin," Akhos said.

Jin looked at Akhos without a word. He appreciated the loyalty; regardless, he'd achieve his goals at any expense, even at the cost of faithfulness to his teammates. If it came down to such a tragedy, of course.

Jin caught Mikhail up to speed regarding the ship traveling to Indol.

"What are we going to do with all of those Core Crystals?" Mikhail asked.

"You should awaken some of them. After all, none of you can exercise your full power in public," Malos said.

Luna leaned over and nudged Malos' arm with her elbow. "And some of us can't even use our full powers at all," she said too giddily.

Malos frowned. "You're one to talk, Little Lu. Your fear prevents you from exercising your potential."

"Don't drag me down with you."

"That's a good idea," Jin said.

They all returned into the Monoceros again and observed the wall of Core Crystals.

"Can Blades and Flesh Eaters even resonate with Core Crystals?" Mikhail asked.

"They can," Malos said.

"Perfect." Mikhail was the first to select a Core Crystal. He opened a case for a rare Blade that was said to be queued for the Core Cleansing ritual. He put his hand over the crystal that glowed blue, and a controlled burst of energy expelled from it.

Before Mikhail stood a large boulderous mechon with blue ether veins running through every one of his limbs. The metallic ox had a curved horn in the front and back of his shoulder. He had a golden head guard that hugged the top portion of his head and the two horns that stuck out behind it. Tusks made of the same material of the head guard formed from the sides of his face. In the center of his chest glowed a blue core crystal. His hands were gloved with large gauntlets.

"I am Cressidus," the gargantuan Blade spoke with a deep voice.

"And I'm Mikhail, your Driver. Nice to meet ya," Mikhail said. "Who's next?"

"Me," Patroka said, snagging a Core Crystal.

The Blade she awoken was a tall and slender robotic man. He had two arms on his back and two at his side, each holding a weapon. White plates covered those arms and his lower body. A tattered piece of red fabric hung from his side arms. His head was crowned with the same white armor and had branch-like spikes emerging from it.

"Oooh, cool weapons," Patroka cooed. "I'm Patroka, your Driver."

"Thanks. I'm Perdido," the Blade said.

"I'll take the stage now," Akhos said.

The Blade he resonated with had took the appearance of a woman and had white armor. Her skin resembled human flesh. A large helmet shielded the back of her neck to her forehead and around her eyes. A horn came out from the top of the helmet and the bottom on both sides. She had six wings floating around her back. A blue circular core crystal sat in the middle of her chest.

"Obrona's the name," the Blade said.

"I'm Akhos, your Driver. Wow, you look like you'd be perfect for the star role in a play," Akhos said with glint in his eyes.

"Huh? A play?"

"Yes! Perhaps you'd be the damsel in distress. Or, with those wings, an angel, fallen from the heavens and ready to save the world from chaos..."

"Hmph! I'm no damsel in distress! Who do you think I am?"

"What can you do, Obrona?"

"Control Ether flow. Totally not deserving of a damsel in distress role!"

"Ah, I can see it now. You'll be the -"

"Enough with this dumb play write notion! What are you, a pansy?" Malos scolded.

"Hehe! Akhos is a pansy!" Obrona said.

"Next. Jin?" Patroka said.

"I will not awaken a Blade," Jin said.

Patroka was taken off guard, as were Akhos and Mikhail. Malos observed Jin's body language carefully, and Luna watched curiously as everything unfolded.

"Why? We'll have boosted power in numbers."

"I prefer to work on the field alone."

Jin was certain with his decision. The choice came naturally to him. He didn't appear hindered by his teammates resonating with Blades. With the exception of Mikhail, they themselves knew what being a Blade was like, and trusted them. Call it a hunch - and Jin's hunches tended to be correct.

"I won't be resonating either," Luna said.

"And your reason for that?" Akhos asked.

Luna nearly hesitated. Reluctant to admit it, she enjoyed the skirmish she had with Malos when they were first getting to know each other, and especially enjoyed their weapon-swapping synergy. She wanted to work with him, not with another Blade.

"I already have a good dynamic with Malos when it comes to fighting, and I'd like to continue pursuing combat alongside him. If it works for you," Luna forced her head to turn to Malos.

Malos blinked. Her efforts to disguise her sappiness failed; he was well aware that she was flustered by how stiffly and tensely she stood. He was a bit confused too, since he didn't expect the proposal from her. He planned on awakening a Core Crystal and replacing his current crappy weapon with something better. What better weapon was there other than the Incinero Scimitar - aside from his true one, of course. But nothing stopped him from awakening a Blade, for he could work with Luna and a Blade.

"I don't mind playing with your sword. Sounds great. But suit yourself," Malos said, approaching a Core Crystal with his hands thrown into the air.

Jin and Patroka looked at Luna. Her shoulders were sunken and her gaze was abnormally blank as she watched Malos walk.

"Do you really want to resonate with another Blade?" Jin said.

Malos' hand stopped centimeters away from crashing down onto the Core Crystal. He was irked by Jin's sudden question, feeling as if he was being accused of something.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Malos said, turning his head over his shoulder.

"Seeing you and Luna fight was a spectacle. Is it worth throwing away the power the both of you share in tandem in exchange for another Blade's life?"

"I'll still be able to fight with Luna, even if I…" Malos caught Jin's drift. It was as if Jin held up a blockade and Malos rammed into it face first. His carelessness was starting to catch up to him, which was a trait he should've learned how to deal with properly after the events of the Aegis War.

"Fair point." Malos' hand dropped to his side. He walked over to Jin, glanced at Luna, and said quietly, "Thanks, Jin."

Jin tucked his chin in. Patroka looked at Luna. Luna appeared to be suddenly relaxed, which lightened Patroka as well.

"Now that we're all assembled," Akhos began, "allow me to tell you about our goals… we are in search of the Aegis, a Blade that holds tremendous power. The Aegis is said to have fallen asleep and has been sunken under the Cloud Sea. The problem is that we don't know where exactly she has been placed."

"That's it! She's the weirdo Blade, hmm? That must be the ether I've sensed," Obrona shouted. She waved her hand out in front of her and created a field of glowing dots, resembling constellations. "Behold! A map of every Blade on - and below, I guess - Alrest. See the strange colored red spark? It's twinkling. And a different shape."

"Impressive!" Akhos said.

"Told ya," Obrona said.

"So that's the Aegis?" Jin asked.

"Yep! These are her coordinate points…"

"Mikhail, can we investigate the area?"

"We can't go there ourselves, the sea level is too low. The Marsanes can't dive that far. However, we can send one of my cameras down there to take some pictures," Mikhail said.

"Let's start with that," Luna said.

* * *

Mikhail deployed a tiny camera that was wirelessly operable for extremely long distances. It could withstand the utmost of altitude changes and was of superb mechanical craftsmanship for the era. Mikhail prided himself for it, perhaps a bit too much for the crew, in particular Patroka. Nonetheless, everyone expressed praise for his expertise.

Everyone sat around the atrium of the Marsanes and eagerly watched the live video footage of the camera on a digital screen. Both Luna and Patroka sat cross legged, propped up on a platform together. Akhos sat in a stool on the platform across from them with Obrona floating next to him. Right in the middle of the atrium stood Malos with his arms relaxed at his side and his hip swayed out. Jin stood right next to Mikhail as he navigated the camcorder further below the Cloud Sea. The camera saw a bunch of scraps, rubble, remains, and potential treasures, all of which looked like what salvagers would fish up while on the job.

"Nearly there," Mikhail squinted.

"Can salvagers go this deep into the sea?" Luna said as she lost count of all the items the camcorder had passed.

"Not an average one, but maybe a well-equipped experienced guy," Malos said.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure. Whoever dares to travel here will be in his glory," Akhos mused.

Finally within view was a sunken ship. The ship was of old Leftherian design and was rather small in nature when compared to modern day ships.

"That's it. Can you go inside it?" Jin said.

"Yeah. There's gotta be an opening around here somewhere," Mikhail said.

The camera observed the ship from afar and circled it slowly. It wasn't long before Mikhail was able to find a large open door on the side. The camera ventured in. Plenty of subterranean creatures, such as Crustips, had inhabited the ship centuries ago. The camera was too small for them to notice.

"Man, is that design ancient. Pretty cool that it stayed in tact for all of these years," Patroka said. Luna hummed in agreement.

The camera floated through the main hall, holds, and Loading Bay, looking for any sign of the Aegis.

"Are you sure she's in here?" Mikhail asked.

"Of course it is!" Obrona said, nearly sounding offended. "Don't doubt my power. If anything, it's your camera that's bad!"

"No that's not what I -"

"Look," Malos said.

Within the Control Room, the camera came head on to a door with blue lights that appeared to be locked. Without any powerflow, the door was unable to open.

"Maybe there's a crack we can get passed…" Mikhail said.

The camera floated along, looking for the smallest defects along the metal infrastructure, but could not find one. There was a window over the door that looked impenetrable. Mikhail altered the lens of the camera to look through the window and around the room. A monster slept soundly within the room. Passed it, there was another securely locked room. The camera zoomed in on the door, and within the center was a crest.

"Addam Origo's crest," Malos said.

"Now we need to find a way to access the ship…" Luna said. Her elbow was propped up on her leg and she rested her cheek into her fist.

"The only way would be to round up salvagers. I know a guy in Argentum who could summon a team of them," Malos said. "But how is that door going to open? It doesn't appear to be connected to any power supply…"

A moment of silence sat between the crew as they tried to come up with a solution.

"Jin, when we met, you were with Addam and the Aegis," Malos said. "What kind of stunt do you think that bastard would pull?"

Jin crossed his arms, staring at the crest of the screen intensely. Malos' words echoed in his head as he tried to put himself in that man's place over 500 years ago. Addam was certainly a pious man, especially devoted to his family and to his people.

"The last I recall of him, he went back to Leftheria with her," Jin said. "Maybe our key lies there."

"Not a literal key, either. Looks like a person would have to open that," Patroka said.

"Well, what do we have to lose? Consider this our first act. We hire salvagers from the Argentum Trade Guild to reel in the ship, and we must hire at least one from Leftheria," Akhos said.

"We'll take the Monoceros to Argentum. You know a guy, Malos?" Jin said.

"Yup," Malos said.

"Let's head there tomorrow."

* * *

Once she finished preparing for the voyage to the Trade Guild, Luna strolled around the Marsanes. The ship was much more spacious than the Monoceros. She found Jin in the Control Room with his back facing the door. He was in front of a large cylindrical vial with a red-haired woman suspended within it and looked down. Luna walked into the room slowly and carefully, ensuring that minimal sound was produced from her boots. The heavy atmosphere he posed sedated her spirits and the muscles in her face relaxed.

Luna had caught sight of the preserved woman from before, but refrained from inquiring about her since they were so occupied with other events. She captured the opportunity to ask now that the day was coming to a close.

Jin was able to hear Luna's entrance and turned his head to the side towards her. "Hello," he greeted.

"I hope I'm not interrupting you too terribly, Jin," Luna said quietly.

Luna walked next to Jin, who didn't validate whether she was or wasn't a burden. She was able to see the frozen girl up close.

The girl's eyes were closed and she appeared at peace. She looked ancient, for the style of her armor was not of modern craftsmanship. Thick tiers of dark metal covered her shoulders. The material of her vambraces matched that of her shoulder pads and extended over her hand. A red rope was tied around her wrists multiple times and sat on top of her hand tied into a bow. She wore a white tunic with flowing short sleeves and two rows of ribbons in the front. Underneath was a red tiered dress. Her boots too were made of dark metal and were of awesome craft - they extended up her legs to the middle of her thighs. Her rusty red hair was messy and appeared short at a glance, but a closer look revealed a very long braid that fell down her backside.

Luna attempted to gather her thoughts. She didn't want to exert herself in a reckless manner and forcefully yank Jin from his wandering mind. Luna hadn't seen Jin this sodden since they had first met. Whoever this deceased woman was, she was meaningful to Jin. People don't normally keep the beloved ones that have departed within visible proximity. All over Alrest, they were culturally buried.

"May I ask a question?" Luna said. She couldn't think of any other way to initiate the conversation.

"About her?" Jin said.

"She's beautiful. Is she important to you?"

"She was. She was my reason for being, to fulfil her last wishes."

Could she be his Driver? Luna suddenly thought. All the more reason why she treaded carefully, although he seemed to be open to sharing his thoughts with her. "I know what that's like."

Jin intently looked at her. His eyes widened enough to show his curiosity heightening, and Luna did indeed notice. Right before either of them spoke another word, Malos sneakily made his way into the room and kept himself hidden on the side. Unlike Luna's entrance, his presence remained undetected.

"He mourned that he couldn't change the system of our home fast enough. He feared the hands that would touch my Core Crystal next. He wanted to protect me and to fight for the upcoming generation of folks so that Blades and Drivers could live in harmony. I offered him the only solution I knew of to keep his hopes high and his fears low, and he agreed."

"His dream… do you still want to fight for it?"

Luna released a snicker that wrenched her heart. "Time was fleeting at that moment. Now that I've had time to relay our final conversation and his very livelihood, I've come to realize that hidden in his last words was remorse. He was blinded by such hope and faith in humanity that it cost him his life at the hands of his own brother. Family. Blood. The people that humans are meant to be bonded to naturally, without the need for aptitude."

Malos was tempted to make his grand arrival and jump into the conversation with his usual facetious attitude. He certainly was not one for sappy exchanges, and wanted the one he was listening to to end; however, recognized that Jin and Luna were both having an important emotional moment together. They were sharing their history and what made them as strong and powerful as they were.

"That's how it should be, but mortals alike succumb to their sins," Jin said. He thought back to Lora's own father and how abusive he was to his own flesh and blood. He looked at Lora with irate determination and touched his mask subconsciously.

"Was that hers?" Luna asked, referencing the mask.

"She made it for me." Jin paused for a moment, taking the mask off. "Since you told me a piece about your past, I suppose I'll tell you a piece of mine. The last words I heard her speak. When she was at her final breaths of life, she told me how tragic the natural fate of Blades is. She didn't want to accept her death, knowing on that day, I'd forget about her very existence. Knowing that we wouldn't meet again…"

"Jin, I am so sorry to bring up these memories."

"The thoughts were already on my mind. It should be said to you instead."

Luna felt a tugging on her mind. Perhaps their situation was not identical in a number of ways, but the bond they had with their Drivers was incredibly close. Jin picked up on such a feeling as well. Through the treacherous terrain which was their past, they felt comfort in knowing that they were traveling through it together.

Luna's gaze wandered along the infrastructure of the room and fell upon Malos. It took her a moment to register that it was the outline of someone, and that it was him. Luna's demeanor went from relaxed to tense, as shown by her tightened eyebrows. "Hey, were you there this whole time?"

"No, but I've been here long enough to hear enough," Malos said. Although he believed partiality towards humans was in vain, their Drivers were clearly worthy of bonding with Blades. He had trouble finding words to reciprocate their sorrow. "Such grim ways to live and die."

"You haven't had a real Driver, have you?" Luna said.

"No. I'm glad I never truly had to subject myself to such scum. Your Drivers, though… after all these years, you still hold the ones who awoken you close."

"They serve as a reminder," Jin said, biting his tongue.

Their conversation was not cut short by Obrona, who they noticed wandering around the Marsanes bickering with Akhos.

"Let me take a peak of that scene that you're writing!" Obrona said.

"Obrona, this is more than a mere scene. This is practically a broadcast of what has yet to come for Torna," Akhos said.

Although she felt a warm bond growing between herself and Jin, Luna wished to move on from the grieving. She called out, "Obrona, do you mind showing me that display of ether all across Alrest?"

"Of course I do!" Obrona said, turning to her through one of the doorways.

Luna's eyes widened. "Huh? Oh, well, alright -"

"I'm kidding. Sheesh, learn to take a joke, will ya?" Obrona flicked Luna's forehead.

Luna forcefully chuckled. Obrona generated the heatmap of ether.

Luna pointed to a small cluster on the map. "Oh, but what about here? It's traveling on the Cloud Sea at a noticeably higher speed than the other dots."

"Looks like it's headed towards Indol from Gormott Province," Malos said.

"Maybe we can intercept it tomorrow, although that might be overzealous."

"It's possible. I'll check it out then," Jin said.

* * *

Mikhail remained in the Marsanes and continued his work. Patroka and Akhos stayed with him. Luna, Jin, and Malos boarded the Monoceros and set out for the Argentum Trade Guild.

The team on the Monoceros successfully caught up to the ship on its way to Indol from Gormott Province. Similar to last time, the ship was of Ardainian technology. As soon as Jin was about to leave to invade the ship, Luna and Malos intercepted him.

"Jin, can I tag along?" Luna asked.

Jin stared hard at the her. On Obrona's heatmap of ether, there was only a single marking on it. She couldn't detect Core Crystals, so it wasn't possible to know if this was a shipment of them or not. The ship was noticeably smaller. The only way he'd know what the people on the ship were up to was if he investigated himself. He didn't necessarily require Luna to go with him, but it wouldn't do him any harm in going together. Plus, the exchange they had last night weighed on his mind.

Malos stood by Luna with his arms relaxed. "I'd like to go, too."

"Sure," Jin said.

Mikhail was able to operate the Monoceros all the way from the Marsanes, regardless of how far away the ships were from each other. Such a relational development allowed for the group to be split up, yet together in tact.

They all swam out to the ship and entered through the hull. Jin recalled the architecture of the hallway, whereas Luna was more observational since it was her first time seeing such infrastructure. She didn't keep Jin up in any way. Malos has seen such a structure before. Security was skimpy, for no guard was there to greet their arrival.

Luna, Malos, and Jin traversed the first Hold, where a couple of Indoline guards were patrolling. They recognized their presence quickly. They were unable to continue through the ship without putting them to rest.

Luna drew the hilt of the Incinero Scimitar. Generating the sword would cause a commotion great enough for the guards to see. Luna jutted her head to the side toward them, as if waving Jin on to attack first. He did: he sliced through the soldiers who barely had a chance to realize their fate. As the soldiers fell, Luna lifted the hilt over her head, and through the warmth in her body, she channeled the flames of the Incinero Scimitar.

Malos and Luna ventured off to explore other parts of the ship. Jin continued on a different path. Everyone tried to avoid as many soldiers as they could in order to keep their identities hidden and not stir up a commotion. At some point, they came across a slew of closed metal doors. The guards patrolling the area fell to their swords. Jin began opening doors on one side of the hall.

A girl with a silver bob cut, yellow ribbons tied on both sides of her head, and perched white cat-like ears sat in the cell hugging her legs. She looked up at Jin with her golden eyes. Three pale white face markings pointed towards her nose: one on her forehead, and one on each cheek. She wore a yellow jumpsuit with sleeves that ballooned around her forearms. A hood, specifically crafted to fit her head and ears, draped around her shoulders. White armor that was cross hatched with gray pieces attached from below her armpits to the center of her chest, and also wrapped along the bottom of her shoulders. A string holding three beads hung under the chest piece. She wore a waist belt with weapons that hung off the side. Her large gray and white boots fanned up her calves.

Next to her was a somber tiger with thick white fur and mature blue eyes. White armor plated with gold protected his chest, shoulders, and ankles. Mounted on both sides of him were blue twin rings that had wings on both sides of the handle. The energy he emitted was that of a Blade, which was certainly what Obrona sensed.

Jin could feel the energy: yet another Flesh Eater being sent to Indol for execution. The girl's eyes were cracked open and her pupils were dilated. Her head sunk down along her shoulders. Jin reached out to her with an open hand. The tiger sat up, observing Jin warily.

The girl took Jin's hand. He helped her up. The Blade stood on all four legs and followed as the crew continued searching the ship. Eventually, Malos and Luna met up with them, and they went back to the Monoceros.

* * *

Torna was able to escape the ship unscathed, and with two new members: Nia and her Blade, Dromarch. Despite leaving without a scratch, they were indeed caught in their acts, and all of their appearances had been recorded by personnel. Torna was officially wanted in Gormott Province and Indol. It was only a matter of time before more people knew.

Nia and Dromarch were told that they were headed to Argentum Trade Guild for a mission, but aside from that, they were left in the dark. The Trade Guild wasn't too far away, so they were indeed thrown head first into their plans. Through the holographic monitor, Nia and Dromarch were introduced to the rest of Torna.

From over the edge of the deck, Nia stood on a small platform and watched the clouds quickly pass by. She searched through the fog in attempt to find any treasures that lay beneath the sea. She could've sworn she saw something! Her ears twitched and her eyes widened. Dromarch watched her shift in demeanor.

"Did you find something, My Lady?" Dromarch said.

"I thought I saw something shiny. I don't know how salvagers go under the sea and find anything more but rocks and garbage," Nia said. "What's even crazier is that people pay for it!"

"The items they find can be reforged for different purposes. People use them as they see fit. Furniture, silverware, and weapons are only some points on the long list of possibilities."

"Yeah, I guess." Nia still didn't look very convinced, but took Dromarch's word for what it was.

Nia stood on her tippy toes and leaned over the rail more. She looked past the front of the ship. Coming up quickly was their destination: the Argentum Trade Guild.

Many ships were docked around the guild with people from all over Alrest going in and out to transport their goods. The guild was built over a hill of flowing gold. The hustle and bustle could be heard from the deck of the Monoceros as it slowed to a halt.

Before they left, Jin ordered the crew to keep a low profile. They shouldn't risk their identities by making conversation with just anyone, especially now that they've been growing some traction. If one of them were to talk to someone, it would have to be quick and with a goal in mind. Such mannerisms were inherent, but with the newest addition to the team and without proper assimilation time, they needed to be mentioned once again.

A man gleefully greeted the team as they descended onto the platform. "What a boat! I haven't seen the looks of anything like that here. Are you new to the Trade Guild?" he said.

"We're here to see the Chairman," Jin said.

The man laughed at Jin's unwavering request. He pointed to the general direction of the Central Exchange. "You can't march up to the Chairman's Office all willy-nilly. You'll have to talk with Pupunin first. He's a Nopon salvager you'll see at the Central Exchange. Ya can't miss him with those two burly guards by him."

"Thank you," Luna said.

"Good luck," the man said with a seasoning of sarcasm. He went off to the next boat that had just docked.

As Torna weaved passed customers and negotiators alike, Nia couldn't stop her nose from taking in the smorgasbord board of delicacies. She could hear her stomach utter words with every breath she took.

"Mmm, I can smell the food from the vendors all the way from here," Nia said, her shoulders drooping forward.

"The cuisine here must be delightful," Dromarch said.

"When are we getting a bite to eat?" Nia asked.

"After the adults take care of business," Malos said, observing what he considered to be her melodrama. Perhaps if she wasn't such a handful, he, Jin, and Luna would be OK with letting her roam around the Trade Guild; but Jin wanted everyone to keep a low profile, and he didn't think she'd do that while unattended.

Nia huffed. "I'm not just a child, y'know. I've recovered from quite a bit of business mishaps."

Malos paid no attention to her remark. Rather, he pointed to the platform above the stairs, right on the second floor. "Look over there."

Everyone's heads tilted up at the man in Ardainian armor from head to toe who was waiting outside of the Chairman's Office. When the doors opened, the man easily entered.

"An Ardainian going into the highly-guarded Chairman's Office with ease," Luna said.

"Seems like the Chairman has business with Mor Ardain," Malos said with disdain in his voice. "They've been trying to advance their military equipment, and this is the go-to place for supplies."

"Doesn't sound coincidental."

Jin hummed in agreement with their conspiracy.

The team weaved through the moving crowds of people with haste to get to the Central Exchange. The Nopon that the man described was right on the money: he was dressed in his salvager gear and had two guards next to him.

Jin kept sizeable distance between him and the Nopon so that he wouldn't irritate the burly guards.

"You are Pupunin, correct?" Jin asked.

"Yes," the Nopon chirped, "Pupunin was informed that strangers want to meet with Chairman Bana. Who and where are strangers from?"

"We are an organization and wish to present the Chairman with a business request."

"Mysterious Strangers have not said name! Chairman Bana is busy Nopon. No time for dilly-dallying matters." Pupunin waved his arms as he spoke.

"We are known as Torna. The Chairman won't be disappointed by our proposal. Let him know that the return on value will surpass his wallet's wildest dreams."

Pupunin raised an eyebrow. "Hopefully, Chairman Bana is not that busy. Follow Pupunin."

Pupunin brought Torna up the stairs to the second floor of the Trade Guild. The door swung open, and the Ardainian captan that Malos pointed out previously walked out with his head hanging low. Another soldier, unarmed, followed behind him. The captain noticed Torna staynding behind Pupunin, and for a split second, he worried.

"Good day, Sir Pupunin. See you soon," the Ardainian captain said.

"See you," Pupunin waved. "Torna, wait here."

Luna bit her lip. She hoped that the Ardainians didn't hear Pupunin say the name of their organization. If the Ardainians recognized them - which, luckily for them, it seemed like they didn't - and they heard their name, Torna could be in knee-high bog to say the least.

Pupunin slid into the office. Inaudible shouting emerged through the closed door.

"It's getting quite rowdy in there," Nia said.

Luna shifted to the side uncomfortably.

"He's got no patience, just like someone else I know," Malos smirked at Nia.

"You're one to talk."

"Now, now, My Lady," Dromarch nudged Nia's arm.

"Nia! Shut your cat-trap before I do it for you!" Malos said.

Both of their tones sounded irritated rather than the tone of average banter. The second floor of the Trade Guild was rather quiet in comparison to the floor, so their argument sounded much louder than usual to those going about their business there.

"Stop drawing attention to ourselves without good reason. We're moments away from negotiating with the Chairman for a very important mission," Luna said.

Nia and Malos crossed their arms at nearly the same time. Luna and Dromarch shot a smile at each other, as if they did a mini high-five. Jin felt relieved that their bickering subsided.

The hums of chatter on the second floor of the Trade Guild filled the silence between all of them for a short while, until the door to the Chairman's Office opened. Pupunin beckoned for them to step into the office.

On the throne behind the desk with a dancer beside sat the Chairman Bana himself. He was double the size of Pupunin and wore a feathery hat and a monocle. On his desk was a glass orb, similar to a fortune telling ball.

Torna walked onto the red carpeting of the room. Pupunin shut the door behind them.

"Welcome to Bana's Trade Guild, biggest money-maker in all of Alrest! Bana hears there is request with money involved, hops on immediately," Bana said with a glow of self righteousness in his voice.

Nia had her arms crossed and leaned towards, but not onto, Dromarch. Luna held a hand up to her chest; she could immediately sense the yearn for self gain in Bana's voice.

Jin stepped forward and said, "Yes. What we are looking for will be of great value to, not only us, but you."

"Bana is interested. Keep talking, Masked Man…" Bana said, twirling the tip of his purple mustache with his huge finger.

"We are looking for a Blade known as the Aegis. The Aegis is a one-of-a-kind Blade that is capable of incredible strengths. Many superpowers would want their hands on this weapon, especially with the current climate of tension."

"Ohoho," Bana exclaimed, sitting up and leaning forward, "Bana likes this way of thinking. Many nations would fall to Bana's feet with plea for help after - ah… would be of great profit! Where is a blade located?"

The team, Malos especially, picked up on his sudden stumble. There was no reason to give him the benefit of the doubt in any case, and Malos knew that especially. Nopons were known for their lust for money, and Bana was the most infamous case for such a statement.

"We suspect it's to be in an ancient ship located under the Cloud Sea. It would require a team of only the most talented salvagers to haul up and excavate it. We are looking for one of the salvagers to be of Leftherian origin as well," Jin explained.

"Easy! That is all?" Bana nearly licked his lips.

Malos took a step forward next to Jin and said, "We've noticed some increased interaction between the Trade Guild and Mor Ardain during such a tumultuous time. And not just doing business out on the floor… you've been taking on some private clients from the Empire."

Pupunin tried to hide his sweat. He looked back and forth between Malos and Bana with bug eyes.

"Bana has no idea what Torna member is talking about," Bana said.

Malos crossed his arms. "Don't play stupid."

Bana slammed his hands onto the desk and leaned towards Pupunin. "Impossible! Has Pupunin said anything dumb to make others think of such irrationality!?"

"W-What? No, Pupunin has been good!" Pupunin jumped.

That was all the confirmation that Malos needed.

"We can figure out what else we need later. The retrieval of the weapon is what matters," Jin said.

"Fine. Feel free to stay at Lemour Inn. Bana will provide discounts to guests. Veteran salvager team will be assembled as soon as possible!"

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed. We're starting to dive into the main story now! Plus, we learned a bit more about Luna here. I would love to hear your thoughts about the story so far. I'd love to discuss it with you.**


	5. Author's Note

Hi all. Sorry if you expected another chapter, but this is unfortunately not that.

I am unsure if I will be continuing the fanfic. If I do, it will be at a leisurely pace, but don't hold your breath.

I was hoping to discuss the fanfic with more people because of how meaningful it is to me. I've wondered about what these characters do in their spare time, how they interact with each other - sort of like what I saw in the DLC. They're like a family to me, friends. It feels less lonely when they're in my head.

Writing, researching, and creating new scenarios take up huge chunks of time. The characters, areas, and lore of XBC2 are already developed. I try to fit the arbitrary guidelines as best as possible to create new dialogue and events. It's fun, yet exhausting.

I am not receiving the discussion and feedback I had hoped for. I may have expected *too* much. I'm unfamiliar with what the FanFiction community is like, and was hoping to build my own little community. So I could make friends.

Writing this has helped me develop skills that I intend to use in my very own creative writing, and for that I am grateful. Maybe one day people will be into my very own creations as much as I am and I'll be able to talk to them at nauseam about the creations. That day is far away... or is it?

* * *

If you'd like to talk to me, here is my social media information:

Twitter: nox_aureaa | updates or thoughts

Discord: Nox_aurea#4915 | private messages

Twitch: nox_aurea | livestreams of games or creative endeavors

Feel free to send a PM here on FanFiction as well.

Toodles,

Nox aurea


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